Shane Beamer impressed with Markee Anderson, rest of South Carolina freshmen
Shane Beamer, when asked about South Carolina position battles, rattled off nearly every position on the roster. But he did also mention one name in his answer.
In talking about the Gamecocks’ need to replace a ton of production on the offensive line, Beamer mentioned true freshman Markee Anderson as someone who they’re evaluating to see if he can help early in his career.
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“We have three starters on the offensive line we have to replace,” Beamer said. “Markee Anderson is a true freshman and we’re watching him. Can he help us early?”
Anderson is part of a heralded 2023 recruiting class. And he is one of the highest-rated early enrollees on campus now going through spring practice.
The four-star prospect came to school with On3 ranking him No. 147 and No. 161 in the industry rankings.
And he’s getting a ton of reps this spring for a few reasons. Not only is he a talented prospect–the No. 12 interior offensive lineman in the class–but the Gamecocks are dealing with a few injuries as well.
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Cason Henry is out this spring with an injury. And South Carolina’s staff is figuring out where Anderson can play while seeing how he stacks up.
South Carolina is replacing its starting center and the entire right side of the offensive line. That means the Gamecocks have snaps to go around, and Anderson has shown flashes in four practices.
“Markee, he’s done a nice job. He and Xzavier McLeod, we talked about it in our team meeting this morning and showed some clips of them in one-one-ones,” Beamer said. “They’re making each other better. A true freshman offensive guard or tackle against a true freshman defensive lineman. They’re really competing and working hard.”
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Anderson is competing with a handful of guys for those spots. Henry, when healthy, will undoubtedly compete for a starting tackle spot.
Vershon Lee, Tyshawn Wannamaker, Trai Jones and Jakai Moore all started games last season and the Gamecocks have transfer lineman Nick Gargiulo, who will be a heavy favorite to play this season.
Anderson and McLeod are part of a recruiting class that ranks No. 16 nationally that enrolls a large chunk of it for spring ball.
It’s also a group that includes 11 freshmen and one junior college player: Anderson, Judge Collier, Connor Cox, Elijah Davis (JUCO), Pup Howard, Jalon Kilgore, McLeod, Reid Mikeska, LaNorris Sellers, Desmond Umeozulu and Cam Upshaw.
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And Beamer’s been impressed with what he’s seen from the youth movement so far.
“They don’t look lost out there. There are days, if you watched the entire practice, you wouldn’t see these freshmen who look lost or don’t know what to do, or be completely overmatched. They’re getting a lot of reps and opportunity and making themselves better because of it.”
